Too Much Information

Part of being the superhuman mother that I am is my ability to respond quickly to my child's queries. Take tonight at dinner for example. I had just finished eating my dinner (7-10minutes max) and I was settling in to keep Pearl company while she finished hers (10-55minutes min) and I casually mentioned that I had just started my period. Yes it's true we superhuman women can feel the exact moment the uterus lets go of its lining. Pearl asked me what it felt like and I tried to describe it in simple, not too graphic terms. Immediately she had some questions about pads vs tampons, that thing with the string hanging out was what she said. Before I know it we are up from the table and in the bathroom and I am explaining to her how tampons function, how you tear the wrapper open and which end is up. I love the teachable moment. She stops me, she needs clarification on where everything comes out, pee, poop, babies, blood. I can see she is unclear about the logistics of this new information and I feel scared, we need pictures, I start screaming, where is the book?, where is the book? I bought her an age appropriate book last Christmas about all this stuff and was secretly hoping she would take it into her room and emerge a few years later with all her questions answered. I toss the now open and plunged tampon in the trash and suggest she get back to her room temperature rice. I tried.